A Degree In DIY

Lori Rotenberk reports growing interest in the folk school movement, which is “drawing young do-it-yourself homesteaders and restless baby boomers to the woods to learn about everything from organic farming to electric cars”:

People enrolling in folk schools range in age from 18 to 70. Enrollment is growing among high school graduates taking a gap year before starting college. College grads are opting to spend gap years at folk school, too, in some cases using the opportunity to rethink their careers. Some students in their late 20s and mid-30s come to learn a trade or craft for a second income. Add to the mix boomers who’ve been laid off, have difficulty finding work, and are hoping to start a small business, and others who have chosen to leave careers in pursuit of a long-ignored passion, and you have a recipe for dramatic growth.